To a jewellery maker, eczema on the hands is devastating. Heck, eczema is devastating for anyone.
I use my hands to craft jewellery, take photographs of rings as worn and type with them.
I prepare food for my family, do housework and soothe my children to sleep with my hands.
So having eczema on my hands is really debilitating. I’ve had it on and off since I was a child but something about turning forty didn’t seem to agree with my skin and the eczema flared up especially on my hands and around my neck. Imagine trying to model rings and necklaces with that!
I tried all sorts of hand creams to keep my skin moisturized. Someone said Vaseline worked for them and I immediately bought a tub to try. It didn’t work for me and in fact, irritated my skin even more.
Unfortunately, the only thing that worked well for me for the longest time, was just steroid cream. The Skin Centre could also only prescribe more steroid cream. But knowing the nasty side effects that they have, I really wanted to avoid using them.
I would wear gloves when I needed to wash the dishes but the latex irritated my skin even more. The cracks in my skin got really bad and I was constantly in discomfort or pain.
Things took a turn for the better when I found this hand cream. It’s called San Shield and is made in Switzerland. I’ve used it for one month now and haven’t had any eczema outbreak since then.
Apparently, it works as an invisible shield to protect and nourish the skin. It gets absorbed really quickly so it doesn’t leave any icky feeling on my hands at all. Before I put on rubber gloves, I make sure I apply this cream and the latex gloves don’t seem to irritate my skin anymore.
Prevention rather than Cure
I think this works best as a prevention rather than cure. It prevents my eczema from flaring up. But if my eczema ever flares up again, I think I may still have to resort to using steroid cream to treat it first, then keep moisturizing again.
I shared this find with a girlfriend who also suffers from eczema and it works for her as well. I understand that some creams or treatments work for some people but not for others. So if you’re struggling with eczema, or know someone who struggles with it, give this a try.
As for me, I’m so grateful to be able to wear rings again. The feeling of not being in pain or discomfort and being able to have my hands do whatever I need them to, is priceless. I can’t even begin to describe the sense of relief.
Hopefully, I pay it forward and help someone else manage their eczema and live their fullest lives. Not being dramatic here, just ask an eczema sufferer and you’ll understand.
Where you can buy San Shield
I bought mine from Guardian store in Nex Shopping Mall (Singapore). It costs $34 usually for an 80ml tube. I managed to stock up some at 30% off today during the Guardian sale.
p.s. I'm not paid to endorse this product. :)
